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Social Media Can Be Trying For Mental Health Issues

Thursday, 27 August 2015 09:31

Sometimes the best remedy is to unplug and focus on yourself.

While social media is a great place to engage with friends and debate it can also be a toxic place for people suffering from mental illness. 

Heart FM spoke with Crisis and Outreach worker at CMHA Oxford Christine Hillis who explains why social media can be a tough place for some. 

"People put the best of their lives on their Facebook page and for somebody who is having issues for them to constantly see everybody else is doing so well and everything is so positive in their life - because that's what their showing - it can be very disheartening if they don't feel like their life is going along the same path." 

Hillis notes another problem on social media can be bullying and it is amazing what people will say behind a keyboard that they would never say in real life. "If you feel like your being negatively impacted by someone online then either change your privacy settings so that it's only people you know; either close friends or family. And you can delete people who are being harsh to you. Just trying to find ways to navigate it and recognize if something is affecting you negatively and how to change that." 

She says sometimes it is a good idea to just take a break from going online and limit your use, especially if it is causing anxiety. However she was also quick to point out there are a lot of positives on social media as well and some people really benefit from the support they find on social media. 

"There's also a lot of really positive support groups that function primarily through social media; different pages that a lot of people find inspiration through which can be great. But at the same time if people find that when the do go online that they are being negatively impacted, then you should definitely limit your use." 

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